Improvement in copying-presses



J. HILL. Copying-Press.

No. 205.862. Patented July 9,1878.

INVENTOR WITNESSES.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HILL, or COLUMBUS, enoaem.

IMPROVEMENT IN COPYlNG-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205,862, dated July 9,1 7 application filed February 28, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN HILL, of Columbus,in the county of Muscogee and State of Georgia, have invented a new andImproved Letter-Gopyin g Press; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear. and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is a side view; Fig. 2, a horizontalsection through. line 00 w of Fig. 1, looking down upon the platen.

The object of my invention is to furnish a convenient means for securingprivacy for letter-copying books against meddlers, as well as securityfor the same against loss by abstraction.

The invention consists in the combination, with the platen of ascrew-press and the stem swiveling therein, of locking devices adaptedto prevent freedom of motion between said stem and platen, and thus holdthe platen clamped upon the letter-book to secure the latter.

Many modified forms of my invention may be employed; but that which Iprefer is a simple lock located upon the platen, and having its boltadapted to be projected into or out from engagement with a notched diskmade rigid and fast on the lower swiveling end of the compressingscrew,the said notches forming seats or recesses to receive the bolt of thelock, and whereby the screw may be locked rigidly to the platen and thelatter made incapable of receding from its tight adjustment.

In the drawing, A represents the base-plate or bed of the press, towhich, upon opposite sides, is attached the arched bar B by means ofbolts. Said arched bar is provided in its enlarged middle portion with avertical female screw, through which passes the compressingscrew G. Saidcompressing-screw is provided at its top with horizontal lever-arms, ahandwheel, or other means for turning the same, and at its lower end isconnected by means of a swivel to the platen D. Said platen is thusgeared to move up or down from the revolution of the compressing-screw,to compress a book or other object placed between the same and the bedof the press, the said platen being kept from turning by means of lugsor extensions a upon its opposite ends, which enter and move up and downin guide-grooves in the standards of the arched bar.

As so far described the press does not differ from those in common use.

In applying my invention I attach rigidly to the compressing-screw, at apoint just above its swiveling connection with the platen, a disk, E,having a notched periphery, and upon the platen I locate fixedly a lock,F, whose bolt is adapted to enter any of the notches oi the disk whichmay be in line therewith to firmly lock the screw and platen together,so that, as the platen cannot turn by reason of its guide-lugs, thescrew is likewise prevented from turning, and the platen thus locked isrendered incapable of receding from its ti ghtened hold upon the book.

In selecting a form of lock for this purpose I prefer that shown, inwhich the bolt may be operated, through a knob, b, by hand, to lock thedisk, but can only be withdrawn to unlock the parts by means of a key.

It is obvious that in practicing my invention various modifications ofthe same may be employed, as, instead of having the lock attached to theplaten and bolted into a device upon the screw, as shown, it may beaffixed to the screw and bolted into the platen.

. The means for attaining the useful ends of my invention, it will beseen, are simple and inexpensive, and, requiring no adaptation on thepart of the press, may be applied to those already in use without injuryor expensive alteration.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. Thecombination, in a letter-press, with a non-rotati n g platen and thescrew-stem swiveling therein, of locking devices, substantially asdescribed, adapted to prevent freedom of motion between the same, forthe purpose set forth.

2. In a screw letter-press, the combination of a notched disk fixed uponthe screw and a movable locking-bolt secured to the platen,substantially as described.

JOHN HILL.

Witnesses:

T. P. BURNETT, HENRY BRUCE.

